


What Is and What Never Will Be

by Katiebug445



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff with a side of angst, Shelma - Freeform, bitter fangirl tries to make things better through the power of fic writing, little bit of a mention of a spoop, sad velma guilt, this was never supposed to see the light of day i'm sorry, uh... ghost kidnapping?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:03:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8400967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katiebug445/pseuds/Katiebug445
Summary: What if things went differently after Zombie Island? What if Shaggy and Velma ended up together after all? What if Mystery Incorporated didn't screw everything up?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I want to start off by saying that this started off as just a "this is how I would have done things" rant to one of my friends, who then convinced me I should flesh it out a bit more and post it as a fic. Shelma is a ship that we've both fallen head over heels in love with over the last year or so, and the pool of fics is very tiny, so why not add something to it?

Velma is really shaken up over the whole zombie mess.

On their way back to the mainland, she's kinda just sitting off to herself because hey, this wasn't some creepo in a mask, this was a legit haunting. Her hands are shaking, and she's low key having an anxiety attack, but she'll be damned if she's gonna show it.

She's staring off, wrapped in her own thoughts, when she feels a dip in the seat beside her.

"Velma, like, are you okay?" Shaggy's voice pulls her back to the present.

She glances over at him and wills her hands to still and her voice not to falter. "I'm fine." She replies, and though she tries to sound calm, a small quiver in her tone gives her away.

"No you aren't." Shaggy might be simple, but he can read people a lot better than some might think. He doesn't pressure her to talk if she doesn't want to, but he knows better than to leave her alone in case something would happen. They sit together in silence for a good long while, watching the sunlight rise from behind the trees.

None of them have slept in over 24 hours, they're exhausted, and the last thing she wants is to wear herself out more by talking, and put more stress out in the air because she's having issues processing it. "They weren't just guys in a mask this time." She sounds shaky.

"Like, I know."

"Those were real monsters."

"You don't gotta remind me." He says it jokingly, trying to pull some kind of a smile out of her. "Like, you know you can talk to Scoob and me, right? If you need to?"

"I know. Thank you, Shaggy." The smile he gives her puts her a bit at ease and she scoots a bit closer to him. Shaggy always has a way of making her feel solid, safe, in ways that go beyond mere friendship. "I think we're all gonna crash hard when we get back." She says.

"You guys might, but, like, I swear mine and Fred's room on the mainland is haunted. Doubt I'll get much downtime til we get back home."

"Home..." Velma replies dreamily. Home, back to her lonely life with her lonely books, far away from everyone else. A memory flashes into her mind of the gang before the split, back when they were still Mystery Inc. and could just jump in the old van whenever they wanted. Not in all different parts of the country. She longs for that again. For the road trips, for her friends, for everything. "This has reminded me how much I really miss all of you." She says, unable to bring herself to look up at him.

"Like, couldn't have said it better myself, Velms." The old nickname makes her feel warm inside and a bigger smile stretches across her cheeks.

"I've missed you and Scooby a lot."

"Why don't you, like, consider moving back to Coolsville with Scoob and me?"

"Shaggy, I--"

"Not with me, but, back home. Come back with us."

If she sees a bit of a blush on his cheeks, she won't tell. "I can't just leave my life, Shaggy. It's not that simple."

"It seemed pretty simple when you left us."

She winces at how the words sting, but she knows he as a point. They all left in such a rush, they barely processed it all until it was over and done with, then it was too late.

What she doesn't notice is the genuine hurt in her friend's voice. Of course he was crushed when Daphne and Fred took off for L.A., but when Velma left is what really got him. She was his closest friend next to Scooby, the one who he could hang out with when everyone else was busy. She was the one he loved.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Groovy." There's still sadness in his voice, but he hides it well enough that she doesn't comment on it; it isn't something meant to be noticed.

~

What ends up happening is the whole gang moves back home, Mystery Inc. has been refounded, and they begin solving mysteries together again.

They all fall back into their routines and roles in the group so easily you'd never imagine they were ever apart.

When they're in Oakhaven, after the Ben Ravencroft incident, Velma, is, naturally upset. Although not in the way everyone thinks.

Yes, she liked him, yes, she's crushed because one of her favorite authors turned out to be horribly evil, but what she's more upset about is the fact that she was used so badly. She didn't see the signs for it, she allowed herself to get wrapped up in Ben and everything he was, and it almost cost her and her friends their lives because she trusted him. Once again, it's Shaggy who notices and finds her off by herself after the Hex Girls concert.

"Velmster?"

She is so wrapped up in her thoughts that his voice actually makes her jump. "Hey, Shaggy."

"You okay?"

She hesitates, and it's all he needs to know the answer is no. "He used me."

"He was a jerk." "I let him." "You didn't know."

"I almost got you guys killed." Her voice wavers, and before she knows it, Shaggy's arms are around her, comforting her. Her fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt, her face is buried in his chest and she's crying. For the first time since everything happened, with them away from everyone, she lets herself give into the emotions. To feel what she's been holding inside for so long.

"Nobody blames you." He promises, squeezing her tightly. "You gotta remember, like, you're the one who saved us all."

"I guess you're right." She agrees when she's finally calmed down enough to speak. Shaggy leads her over to a small, quiet place under a tree, and neither of them speak again for a long time. He knows she still feels guilty, that just because she agreed doesn't mean she believes it herself, but he doesn't push. He doesn't make her talk. He knows Velma enough that he knows if she wants to discuss it, she will.

Shaggy wants to do what he can to make her feel at peace, but what can he possibly do to help aside from sit with her? "Like, don't be upset about Ravencroft. There's plenty of other authors out there looking for a fan."

Her lips twitch up into a tiny smile. "You're right. And there's plenty of authors whom I admire, too."

"And there's plenty of guys out there who admire you, Velms." The others spot them sitting off on their own and yell for them to come back over and join the party.

"You wanna go?" She asks, still not feeling up to it. Shaggy shakes his head.

"Nah, Scoob is partying enough for the both of us." Both of them look over and see Scooby-Doo dancing with Luna, and they both giggle.

"Thank you, Shaggy. For always being there. You're a good friend."

"Like, it's nothin'." He assures her. There's so many other things he wants to say, like he'll always be there for her, that no matter what, she'll always have him, that she can always come to him no matter what, but he's afraid. He's afraid of crossing those lines, of saying those things and risking opening himself up to say other things, more dangerous things that could kill their dynamic, their friendship, and the gang once again. He couldn't bear to be the cause of them breaking up.

Not over his feelings.

Not even if it _is_ Velma.

~

Fast Forward a few years, Mystery Inc. has once again disbanded, but the five friends are still as close as ever.

Daphne has become an anchor at Newsville 10, Fred has become the camera operator for her, Velma works part time at the library while going to school, Shaggy is working with his dad, and Scooby volunteers to visit kids in the hospital on the weekends.

Shaggy and Velma still hang out regularly, as they always have, except instead of discussing monsters, they discuss the more mundane things of life: boyfriends/girlfriends, school, work, what the whole gang is going to do on the weekend… He still hasn’t told her how he feels, and he figures he probably never will. He almost has, on several occasions, but it was always at bad moments.

After Ravencroft, after a particularly nasty split from an ex-boyfriend, after Velma had confessed how scared she was to be on her own. Her self esteem had gone downhill, and she didn’t seem much like herself anymore. He didn’t want to make things about him, but he wanted to say something that would give her comfort. To let her know someone still found her to be brilliant, attractive, witty, and every bit as amazing as who she used to be.

The timing was just never _right_.

The worst part was, after nearly six years of harboring his feelings for her, they obviously weren’t going away anytime soon. He had tried to move on, he really had, but no girl could ever fully compare to Velma Dinkley.

It's getting harder to be around her.

Everything in him is screaming at him to just admit it before it's too late, but he can't bring himself to do it. He can't cross that line and risk losing his closest friend aside from Scooby.

~

The gang is invited to some kind of haunted weekend outside of town by an old friend, and they all agree to go, and get a bit more than they bargained for.

As it turns out, the original owners of the land haven't exactly left, and are pissed that the new tenant decided to exploit the hauntings for profit.

The Gang arrives, and are immediately met with ghostly activity which starts out harmless enough, but soon turns into hair being pulled, them being pushed and tripped, among other, increasingly malevolent, things.

Velma ends up getting kidnapped by the ghost and is taken off and missing for about two days, and Shaggy is the one most affected by it.

It's then that the rest of them realize why.

They decide to let him be in charge of this one, because Shaggy is devoted if he's anything, and if anybody has a chance of finding her, it's him.

The gang splits up, and, as per the usual, Daphne and Fred go off together, as do Shaggy and Scooby, who end up being the ones to find her.

Shaggy runs up to her, takes her in his arms, and the look of pure relief splashes across his face. "Like, I thought I'd never see you again." He tells her.

"Jinkies, Shaggy, I'm sure glad to see you."

The kidnapper returns, sees Shaggy and Scooby, and is madder than hell. Shaggy pulls Velma behind him on instinct, and in a very out of character moment of bravery, makes a stand to protect his dog and the woman he loves. It ends horribly, with him being thrown clear across the room in a second flat with inhuman force. 

As it turns out, the ghost isn't just some kook in a mask. It's the real deal, and it isn't about to be taken out by a couple kids and a great dane. 

While he's knocked out, Shaggy and Scooby are bound and chained up in the back corner of the cellar along side Velma.  

None of them have gotten much sleep since the arrived, and it looks like Velma hasn't eaten or drank much in a few days. She won't last much longer like this, and neither will he.

Shaggy has the morbid thought creep up on him that informs him this very well might be his last few days on earth, and does he really want to die keeping his feelings hidden? "So, uh, Velmster, there's something I gotta tell you."

"Y-Yeah, Shaggy?" She responds weakly.

He bites his lip, deciding on if he wants to really do this. "Before I get started, you know you're, like, my best human friend, yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Well... You're kinda like, the most beautiful girl I've ever met in my life. And, like, I might have liked you for a long time."

"Shaggy...?"

"You don't gotta say anything, I just wanted you to know." He can hear her shifting, though it's too dark to make out exactly what she's doing. He can feel a pressure on top of his pinky finger that causes him to jump, and it pulls a little giggle out of the girl.

"I'm glad you said something, 'cause I've kinda liked you for a really long time too"

Shaggy is taken by surprise at the statement and turns to her. "Like, you mean it?" 

"Cross my heart." 

"Groovy." 

~ 

Daphne and Fred, along with the local authorities, find them soon afterwards, curled as close as they can get to each other. The house is quickly abandoned by the owner and boarded up until someone else is brave enough to buy it, and the gang is on their way back home when they all decide that they've missed mystery hunting too much to keep away from it anymore.

Velma stays with the guys in the back of the van, right next to Shaggy, with a book in one hand, and his hand in the other. She can feel his eyes on her as she reads, and it makes her blush a bit, but she doesn't complain at all, because he looks pretty cute when he's watching her, too.

 


End file.
